communicating your investment in PPE manufacturing
Update: This post is part of our COVID-19 Resource Guide. We are publishing articles and Channel Mastery podcasts during the pandemic with tips, guides, and resources with the goal of helping your brand and business navigate the crisis. Visit our RESOURCE GUIDE>
Since March 6, Verde has been in the trenches helping our clients navigate the COVID-19 virus crisis. As we learn more about COVID-19 each day and the impact it is having on a global level, we have been blown away by the number of outdoor, snowsports and endurance brands stepping up and adapting to this new ever-changing business landscape.
Manufacturing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) is now deemed essential, and if your specialty brand is thinking about pivoting to PPE production, Verde is here to help. In this resource, we highlight a number of Verde clients that have pivoted their production to answer to the global need for more Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Below is a resource guide to assist you and your specialty business in effectively communicating your investment in PPE manufacturing efforts.
Looking for more? Earlier this week Verde founder Kristin Carpenter moderated a webinar hosted by OIA and SIA on this very topic. Check out the full webinar for a first-hand perspective from brands who are leading this shift in the outdoor industry. In addition, see what other brands we represent have been doing.
Keep Your Employees Close - Internal Communication Is King
As mentioned in a recent Channel Mastery episode about communicating during the COVID-19 crisis, “The most important audience you have is your internal workforce. Communication with your internal team is the top priority as a matter of principle, but also know that your workforce is composed of your biggest brand advocates, all of whom have access to large reach on social media.”
It is crucial to clearly communicate your pivot with all employees, speaking to the impacts it will have on their day-to-day operations and being available and willing to answer questions as well as address concerns. In most cases, this will be an incredibly positive movement for everyone involved as it gives employees a strong sense of purpose to feel as though they can make a difference during these trying times. It is also a means for keeping employees paid and working during the pandemic, while millions of Americans are joining the unemployment ranks.
2. Brand Collaboration - We’re All In This Together
While a worldwide pandemic may instill fear and uncertainty, it can also create a stronger sense of community and collaboration as businesses try to navigate what comes next. In times of chaos, it’s more important than ever to support each other in order to rise above.
Outdoor Research employees have worked night and day through recent weeks to figure out how to shift the brand’s onshore manufacturing facility in Seattle, which is normally dedicated to producing high-end tactical/military gear, to be able to produce more than 175,000 ASTM Level 3 surgical-grade and N95 masks per day. That involved sourcing new machines, converting space at Outdoor Research headquarters to accommodate new manufacturing lines, and training people to do new kinds of work, all while navigating working with numerous different state and federal agencies to ensure compliance with a wide range of health, safety and production safeguards. When this news became public, Outdoor Research literally had people contacting it via its customer service channels to ask if they could help by delivering masks to medical facilities or others in need.
After pivoting its premium bike apparel production to make PPE, Kitsbow experienced unanticipated engagement from all over the U.S., with demand totaling more than 100,000 units in the first week. Asheville-based neighbor, Industry Nine, offered its expertise in large-scale manufacturing and sourcing of raw materials and in less than two days working together, the companies found a solution to yield 10,000 shields per day (learn more about the partnership here). In the days following, Outdoor Gear Builders (OGB), a nonprofit business association made up of Western North Carolina-based outdoor industry companies announced that many of its members were joining the movement.
As more specialty brands decide to make this pivot, trade secrets are becoming a thing of the past. Brands are exchanging patterns and design templates to produce in-demand medical gear. The more insight that is shared, the faster brands can become efficient in producing PPE and getting it out on the front lines.
Note: Even brands outside of PPE production are continuing to support each other's needs and initiatives, ensuring that we can all stay afloat throughout this pandemic-induced economic downturn. Utah-based brands Cotopaxi and Uncharted Supply Co. saw the ways in which the other was struggling to meet their business’s needs and recognized the unique opportunity to come together. Learn more here.
3. Determine Your Distribution
If you’re making the leap into PPE production, be prepared for demand to go through the roof. Before launching, it is crucial to create clear goals around where products will be sold and at what price. Some questions to ask yourself might include:
Will we sell to local health care providers and first responders?
Will we sell direct-to-consumer on our website?
Will we sell at-cost? Will some PPE be donated?
What is our timeline?
As a reference, Kitsbow committed to making PPE at cost and distributing those products to local healthcare workers and first responders in Western North Carolina. Similarly, Outdoor Research will be donating some of the fabric facemasks it is making to medical facilities in the Seattle area. Many consumers inquired about purchasing masks on the Kitsbow website, and as a result, the brand shared a simple “How To Make a Face Mask At Home” tutorial with their email newsletter subscribers.
Another example is Cascade Designs, which partnered with Kaas Tailored in Seattle, Washington. Kaas is working with partners across the country to make 100 million ASTM Level 1 medical masks in response to the crisis, and Cascade Designs is supporting their efforts by transitioning its Seattle based factory to create up to 20,000 masks each day. Cascade Designs is in a unique position to respond quickly to the growing demand for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) because of its onshore manufacturing facility and experienced team of sewers. Kaas provides the materials and distributes the masks, while CDI employs its team of 44 highly skilled sewers to stitch each individual mask. The masks will be distributed to 51 hospitals in the Providence network.
4. Communicate Your Progress
Consumers and key stakeholders are going to have questions. Be proactive and give frequent progress updates, always being authentic and transparent about your progress and trajectory.
This can be done through social media updates, e-newsletters, blog posts and even press releases documenting what has been done to date and how your brand plans to move forward. It can also be effective to create a landing page on your website to host all pertinent updates and statements.
Check out this blog post to learn more about effective social media communication amidst COVID-19.
5. It’s A Marathon, Not A Sprint
This pandemic has changed the business landscape (and the world) as we once knew it. While some brands may see this pivot as a temporary adjustment to keep their business afloat, some will see it as a permanent change, expanding product offerings and long-term strategy.
For some, finding materials for PPE could eventually turn into sourcing sustainable materials and reduce waste throughout the retail supply chain.
Another company Verde works with, FORLOH, a maker of premium hunting apparel that will be manufactured 100-percent in America, hadn’t even formally launched its brand yet when the COVID crisis hit. Nonetheless, it worked quickly with one of its partners, Merrow Manufacturing, based in Fall River, Mass., to create an onshore manufacturing solution to create protective medical gowns. Merrow-FORLOH has concentrated on growing awareness of the role that washable/reusable gowns can play in a crisis, as opposed to the single-use disposable versions that largely dominate the supply chain (some of which it also makes), and which are thrown away, creating an instant need for more. The Merrow-FORLOH reusable gowns can be used up to 1,000 times, meaning not only do they reduce waste, they are able to have a long service life, so if there is another virus flare up in the future, they can continue being used.
For more information, check out Verde’s COVID-19 Resource Guide. We are publishing articles and Channel Mastery podcasts during the pandemic with tips, guides, and resources with the goal of helping your brand and business navigate the crisis. If you’re interested in turning your brand pivot into a cause-marketing resource, please let us know how we can help.